Coastal Tourism and Its Role in Supporting Local Development: Perspectives of the Employees at the Office of Tourism and Traditional Industries in Sabratha ( Field study )

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the role of coastal tourism in supporting local development in the city of Sabratha. To achieve this, the descriptive-analytical approach was adopted to attain a comprehensive understanding and accurate depiction of the role of coastal tourism in supporting local development in Sabratha. This was done by surveying the opinions of a sample of employees at the Office of Tourism and Traditional Industries in Sabratha, through a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of them. The data collected was analyzed using appropriate statistical tests, based on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 17).

The main findings of the study were as follows:

1. Coastal tourism does not contribute to cultural exchange between tourists and the local community.
2. Coastal tourism does not enhance environmental awareness among tourists and the local community.
3. Coastal tourism has not contributed to the improvement of transportation or the facilitation of access to coastal areas.